P1 with Matt and Tommy - Our 2024 Bahrain GP predictions

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

Strap yourselves in: F1 is BACK! So who's finishing where this weekend? Tickets for our live shows in April have almost sold out - get yours right here! You can sign up to our Patreon here! You'll get access to exclusive episodes you won't hear anywhere else, every P1 episode ad-free, full driver interview videos, early access to tickets and more!Follow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P-1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. It's Race Week. Sorry, I thought I'd give it some serious beans, Tom Bellingham. I might clip that. I think that should be clipped and play it just like a jingle every Monday. All right, yeah, but then we're not going to want to play it next week when Max has won by 50 seconds. Spoiler alert. But of course, Formula One has finally returned.

this weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, do not forget. Saturday being the race and no more, no more BS, no more, this is it. The cars will go on the track on Thursday. We'll see practice and we'll learn nothing. But by Saturday, we will figure out just how far Red Bull is ahead. We sure will. This is the first race of the season. This is the unknown, of course, the first race of season. We don't know anything. You wouldn't know that. You wouldn't know that, basically. on the chatter online and the sort of doom and gloom about going into the season. But look, this is the most hype. So enjoy it. You never know what's going to happen. The most hype? What do you mean, Tommy, when Charles LeClaire goes three rounds from the end and could clinch the title if he wins? What do you mean?

I meant more like there's never, you don't, this is where you literally can't predict anything. You never know. We'll see how many we get right. Right, let's start off then where we always begin with biggest good surprise. For me, for me, I am locking in. Lewis Hamilton. So we have, we've been on the flop express these last few weeks about Mercedes. I think even I, I think I've predicted him quite low down actually in the driver's championship.

Not because I think he's washed or anything like that. I think more about Mercedes. However, I am going to give Mercedes fans, and I'm going to believe them for a second, because I've seen a screenshot of James Allison's face after three days of testing. And Mercedes fans are so sold that they have learned more from that one interview

than the entirety of three days of testing. I've seen also as well that the speed traps, they're really low, if not the slowest cars in the speed trap. and I'm just sat there like, yes, but Mercedes haven't exactly been quick in the speed trap last year either. But apparently that means they're sandbagging. So I think there's going to be a good surprise in Lewis Hamilton. Oh, we love a sandbag, don't we? Yeah, Mercedes in particular love sandbagging, but this is the thing with Mercedes.

I've seen everyone loves to predict like a pecking order, don't they, after testing? And I've seen Mercedes second, I've seen Mercedes sixth. Like, who knows? That's what I mean about the hype. Like, it could be, they could be anywhere. It could be anyone who wins a world challenge. It could be anyone who finishes second in the race. My biggest good surprise, I have gone for Fernando Alonze.

I am backing Fernando. Your boy. Yeah. Obviously, I'm going on biggest good surprise, not to compared to last season, where he was obviously incredibly hyped going into the race. I feel like there's a bit of the opposite this year where everyone just assumes that Ashton Martin won't be able to make a good car this year

because they fell off towards the end of last year. And there's not much, I don't think anyone would expect Astor Martin to do anything particularly great. I don't think people think they're going to be terrible, but they're kind of getting predicted as sort of like behind Red Bull Mercedes Ferrari and McLaren. So I am going for Fernando.

Masterclass. Come on for a Hyundai. Okay. Will it be more of a masterclass than last year when he overtook Charle of Stricken Ferrari for a podium? Lovely. Biggest flop. Now let's see what 2024 biggest flop has to offer with my predictions. I am going to lock in Esteban Okon. Oh, the poor bloke. My guy delivered for me last year. Every time I flopped it, him he flopped. And I don't know.

Last year, how many penalties does he equaled the most amount of penalties? Well, no, come on. We're not, we're not, you know, he doesn't have to break the amount of penalties in a race weekend. But yes, I don't know. I just feel as though Alpine aren't going to be great anyway. And then that kind of opens up the possibility for some serious floppage.

So, yeah. I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, because I'm nice. You get the point anyway. if he is biggest flop. But if by some miracle, you continue your trend and he breaks his own record of most penalties in the third time you've predicted him,

you can have two points. I think I can win the whole season, to be honest with you, if that happens. Absolutely unbelievable if that happens. Biggest flop, no surprise that I am doing the stupid thing where I just love a team,

team flop and I'm doing it again. Oh, your team again, the first race this season. I haven't learned anything. I think in my head I think that if I go for a team and they're not very good, whereas if I go for a driver and they do rubbish but they don't, they still beat their teammate, then I won't get it. Maybe that's my logic.

I mean, your logic is flawed because I'm pretty sure your team suggestions have always been like one driver bad and one driver good. Yeah, I know. So it's going to happen again. So maybe that's a good thing for fans of this team. I've gone for McLaren I don't think they're going to be as floppy as last season that would take some doing

like you say the same with your Ockon thing but I just don't think they've had the test that I thought they might there's a lot of hype going into it I think a lot of people thought they might be best of the rest after Red Bull. I can't believe that's now best of the rest but maybe even like the second quickest team and I just don't think they've had a particularly good test and that they might just sort of be like eighth and ninth or something.

So, yeah, I'm not quite on that McLaren-Cututrain yet. Wow, if that one comes in, you will be attacked, and so will I, because obviously I went for Lando World Champion in particular predictions, but then also have changed my mind in every other prediction I made. we now go to poll position. Fridays qualifying. Do not forget. Charlotte,

Claire. My guy, my boy, he's getting poll. Yeah, and I was thinking about this. I was like, you know, usually Saturdays are the day for Ferrari and Charles LeClaire. Saturday is the race. Let's see who I've predicted as to win Saturday's race. But for Friday, I genuinely think Ferrari are the same. second fastest team, similarly to last year and are able to get poll. It feels like that's in the

waters. And I'm not delusional, I promise, maybe. I don't know. But I think, I think Charles genuinely could get pole position. I also want to honourable mention Carlos signs. I think either of them could get pole position, genuinely. Carlos has looked decent in testing and he was a comparable driver to Shao last year. But I'm going to go with Sharma. Poposition, I've gone for Max Verstappen. I was, I knew, I just knew that you were going to do that thing. He starts 2024 off. Look.

Boring. Well, I'm looking, you better not have predicted him for the win then. You better not have predicted him for a double. You know what I'm saying? Well, we'll see. Oh. Oh, do you think about some reliability issues? Sorry, okay, go around.

Might as well, Stappen, I was humming and a Ring about going for a Ferrari. I think it could be close. I think, yeah, Ferrari would, if they're going to do it, qualifying. We know how good they are in qualifying. Charles LeClaire in particular. So I was very tempted. But look, you predicted Charles, so I just have to throw a wild card and go different and go Max Verstappen.

Yeah, what a curveball that is to go for Max for Stappan. Oh my goodness, me. Fair enough. Let's get into our top three then. In third position, I am locking in. Sergio Perez. Okay. You get podium,

but I am smelling he is going to be quite far off for Stappan again this year. Just, I've seen some Helmut Marco slander already, which, you know, is not ideal if you're Perez about him getting out of his head,

getting Max out of his head and just running his own plan or something like that. So I don't think, I think the car will still be unbelievable. Perez will have a great shot at even maybe potentially second, but I think he'll finish third.

I can't, I literally can't work out where Perez is going to be if it is going to revert to the start of last year where he is kind of in that easy second place or if he is going to be amongst the rest of it.

I have... 17th. Yeah, maybe. Behind Holkenberg. I have doubled down and gone four. P3, Fernando Alonso. Wow. It's bold. It is very bold. Is this?

come in with some like chaos here or do you genuinely think pace the place for Alonso? A bit of pace, a bit of just Alonzo being a boss. I am on the Duluth train. You've been having some wet dreams about Fanonzo. That is crazy. But look, if I'm going to be boring and go for max pole position, I've got to throw a bit of a curveball in there and do something interesting. So Fernando Alonso P3, come on.

Okay. That would be an amazing prediction. genuinely that would, I'm not giving you any more than one point because you went for the stop and pole, but I like what you've, I like what you've done. Second place,

Charlecler. So it'll be another poll to non-win edition. What would that be? I can see it in my mind. I don't care, to be honest with you. I think he has 24 poles, or 23 poles. What does he have?

Just have a little, it's a lot of pole positions, which is upsetting to say. It is absolutely insane, isn't it? That would be if he does what you say, that would be his 20th. Yes, he'll be a 24th pole. And he has five wins. And he has five wins.

Yeah. Ouch. That is actually horrific. That is worse reading than what I remember to be honest. Yeah, it is actually. But yes, I just think Red Bull are going to have exactly the same advantage as they had last year. I don't think it'll be, I don't, I hope, Max, isn't going to win by three days.

I feel as though as well, you know, Red Bull might think, let's not go 100% right now with this car and wait for next year, because next year they can't do nothing. If they turn out and rock it up to 100, they can't change the rules because 2026 is coming. New regs, you know what I'm saying?

2024, there's a slight risk if they dominate and win 24 races in a row that the FIA might be like, yo, you're not allowed a front wing now. But yeah, Charlotte-Cla second. For P2, I have gone for Carlos Sainz. Yeah, I've gone for the different Ferrari driver for PT.

I'm just, yeah. Different, wait, so you've, was that a spoiler then? Are you trying to say there's only one Ferrari driver on the podium? No, we'll find out. Stop it. Oh my God, Tom. Getting hot under the collar up. Yeah, I've gone for Carlos, I think he'll be fired up.

and yeah like you say I think he maybe is a bit underrated and can have a good race he'll be there with Shal I think again and it'll be a close fight between them I think for quite a lot of the year so yeah excited for the race and I'm going a bit bit different

all Spanish podium so far for me yeah okay well first position Max for Snappen I had to get him then at least once You know what I mean? Like, I need to get a point here because I've been sheffing a little bit

with that Charlotte-Clau pole and yeah, I need to get that point. So, yeah, thank you very much. I don't even need to explain. What do I need to explain? It's Max Verstappen who won 19 last year. Rebel won every single race apart from one. Max Verstappen's going to win the Bahrain Grand Prix.

I... Please tune in and watch all P-1 content from here to the end of the universe. Thank you. P-1, I've gone for Max Verstappan. Oh, what? I know. Ruin it at the end. I thought you were going to say Ferrari won two.

Yeah, that would be wild. 2022 all over again. I know. There is part of me that thinks that, yeah, maybe the car is fast but unreliable and there could be an issue. But I don't know, like it's so hard to bet against him in that first race, especially now the Bahrain curse has been broken by him last year. Oh yeah, that well-known thing. That did go on for years, to be fair. And then Max was like, I don't care.

Yeah, he's like, this is silly. And yeah, you'd be so hard to bet against him. It's just, he's looked very ominous. But I personally don't think it's going to be like a walkover, we say. But we'll find out. But you haven't put Charler on the podium. What happens to Charle, please? Well, we'll find out, but I just, I knew you'd put Charlotte up there and I was just like, well, I think science would do good.

In your eyes. Tam he's finishing the race. Maybe, or he might have like a bit of an issue. A little poetry and motion pit stuff, maybe. Well, you better be tuning into Twitch because if that happens, my PC is going directly out of the window. So we'll see about that one. Thank you, Tommy. Thanks for believing in Shal.

let's go to our one crazy prediction and mine is Max will win the race by less than 15 seconds yeah I just think that either one Red Bull don't turn their engine on much

or two it genuinely is closer but either or Max is not dominating the Bahrain Grand Prix Max is going to dominate the Bahrain Grand Prix isn't he my prediction

Crazy prediction is maximums by three minutes. No, it's not. That's not crazy. It's not crazy, though, is it? I feel like it's just, yeah, we're all doing the same thing here. So I've gone for that the RB20 has a mechanical problem during the race weekend. During the race weekend. Yeah, so Perez break fire and practice.

No, that's outrageous. Well, they're kind of. doesn't break down very often, so look, just got to cover it. It's a wide, you know. It's a wide thing, but I guess we need to stipulate if Perez, you know, is just in the garage and they're working on his car a little bit. It has to be out on track, you know what I'm saying? Like, then I'll accept it.

You know, he's got a puffing. No, you can't say that. Like, not, yeah, if he's, if he's failing to get out the garage and there's a problem, yeah, fair. but like I'm not going to claim it if like they missed the start of Kwali by like a minute because they're like screwing as wheel nuts on. Neither am I. Okay, just so you know, neither am I. So there we go. We've got the terms and conditions out there. And finally, three crazy predictions from you wonderful lot. Reply to the graphic that we post on Twitter or Instagram if you want to be featured next time. First up is M. Lawrence, both Mercedes DNF. Don't know why. Just vibes. Well, that goes against what I believe is going to happen.

So, interesting. Jerep to Jula, W. W.23 for steak. That's bold. That is enormously bold. They've seen Joe third and day three of testing and gone. Yep.

They're hyped. To be fair, Bottas did cook last year, you know what I'm saying? Bottas was really good. They were actually quite good last year at the start, Alpha. You just never know what they're going to do. Maybe. Let's see what steak manages to, to muster up.

And finally, Esty Besti 8. The Ferraris and Merks are a lot closer to Red Bull than we think and it's a three-way fight for the win. Yes, please.

That sounds like you're sleeping, Esty-Besty 8, but I want a piece of that dream and to make it reality, yes, please. As long as the Ferraris are ahead. And you're wrong, it's going to be Fernando,

but yeah, we'd take it one of the way. We'd still give them the point, even if it's a three-way fight for the win, right, wouldn't we? Well, I think we'd give them about 20 points

If it's a three-way fight for the win, we'd absolutely love it. And I hope they're right. And they will need cheering up as well because I have put biggest flop, Esteban, Ockon. So Estabesti 8 will need all the points they can get to make themselves feel better. Yeah. Right, that is it. Thank you, everybody, for watching and listening to the first predictions podcast of the year. Let's know your predictions on social media.

We love to see them. And yes, we're back. We are back. Formula One is back. Content coming out of our ears. both on P1 and Will Knowledge. And also, do not forget, P1 live show tickets are still available. It's the middle of April, the 11th, the 12th and the 14th of April.

Get your tickets before they sell out and would love to see you there. So see you very soon. Lots of love and subscribe. I never say subscribe to the channel. Can you please subscribe to the YouTube channel? Like, please, we've not done any call to action for this for about a year. But subscribe to the YouTube channel if you haven't already. Lots of love.

Bye. Bye. Make sure you follow us on all of our socials. We're Matt P1, Tommy, on Twitter, TikTok. Twitch and Instagram. You can also sign up to our Patreon at the link in the episode notes for ad-free episodes, full video interviews and extra bonus episodes for as little as $5 a month. Finally, make sure you're following us on Spotify.

See you soon. Subscribe to Tommy's OnlyFans as well. P1 is a Stack production and part of the Acast creator network.